Stalk-cutter.



No. 864,656. l PATBNTED AUG. 27, 1907. B. C; LANCASTER.

STALK GUTTER. APPLIOATION ruim) JAN. ao, 1907,

@Vi in @5am attenua? BENJAMAN C. LANCASTER, OF WAXAHAGIHE, TEXAS.

STALK-CUTTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 27, 1907.

Application filed January 30,1907. Serial No. 354,871.

.o all whom it maycqncern:

Be it known that I, IIENJAMAN C. LANCASTER, a citir/leu oi the United States oi America, residing at Waxahaehie, in the county oi Ellis and State of Texas, have invented new and useful Improvements in Stalk- Cutters, of which the following is a specilication.

This invention relates to stalk cutters and cotton choppers, and one ol the principal objects of the same is to provide means for bending down the stalks and cutting them oli while they are bent down,

Another object oi the invention is to provide a machine oi this character which will operate upon two rows oi corn or oi cotton at the same time and will bend the stalks and sever them at a point near the ground,

Still another obj ect is to provide means lor adjusting the beams laterally, and to reciprocate` the frame.

These and other objects may be attained by me'ans el' the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a side elevation and partial section of a machine made in accordance withv my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same.

Referring to the drawings for a more particular description of my invention, the numeral l designates the tongue oi the machine, and 2 is the axle thereof. The wheels 3 are provided with a deep peripheral groove 4 designed ior the purpose of bending down the stalks prior to the cutting operation, and said wheels are located at the proper distance apart to operate upon two rows of corn or cotton. The beams 5 are upwardly curved at their iront ends and secured by a bolt G to the tongue l. Clips 7 secure the beams 5 to the axle 2 and the rear ends of said beams `are bent downwardly, as at 8, and backwardly, as at 9. Cutter blades l0 are secured to the lower ends of the beams by means oi bolts ll, said cutters extending laterally and rearwardly from the beams in order to provide a shearing cut. The beams 5 are adjusted vertically by means oi the lever and rack lll'. A seat 1G is secured to an inclined bar 17 bolted at 18 to the tongue l.

The operation ol this machine may be described as follows: The machine is drawn over the field of corn or cotton and the wheels 3 pass over the two rows and bend down the stalks. The cutters l() .following the wheels cut oil the stalks while they are bent down, the cut being i'ormed diagonally across the corn or cotton stalk and with a shearing cut, owing to the angle at which the blades are set relatively to the beams.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim 1. In a machine of the character described, a tongue, beams secured to said tongue` an axle secured by clips to said beams, said wheels havingl peripheral grooves therein, knives secured lio the beams in rear 0|? the wheels, and means for adjusting said knives vertically with relation to said tongue, substantially as described. l

In a machine of the char: :ter described, a tongue, beams secured at their forward ends to said tongue, an axle, wheels mounted on said axle, said wheels having deep peripheral grooves for bending down the stalks, clips for securing the beams to the axle, angularly arranged knives connected to the rear ends of the beams in rear el? the wheels, a rack bar Vcured to the beams, and a lever l'or raising said rack bar and beams, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, l allx my signature in presence oi' two witnesses.

BENIAMAN C. I'IANCAXS'IER.

Witnesses O. II. CHAPMAN, Il). C. MeCAn'rNnY. 

